Two new aviation research funds have been set up at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University in honor of alumnus Jonathan Campos, a PSA Airlines pilot who was killed in last year’s midair collision over Washington, D.C.
The Jonathan Campos Aviation Safety Endowment and the Jonathan Campos Aviation Safety Program Support fund will help advance safety research at Embry‑Riddle’s Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety, according to university officials. The endowment was made possible through the generosity of Embry‑Riddle trustee Neal Keating and his wife, Alison, the school said.
“Jonathan Campos represented the very best of our Eagle community,” Keating said in a statement. “A dedicated, skilled pilot and trusted colleague to his cabin and crew, Jonathan brought an unrelenting passion for aviation to everything he did. We are proud and honored that his legacy continues to live on here at Embry‑Riddle through faculty and students who are dedicated to advancing the safety of all who fly.”
Robert Sumwalt, executive director of the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety, said one area of focus for future research will be applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to aviation safety data. Pointing to the D.C. collision, Sumwalt noted that investigators found over 15,000 cases where airplanes and helicopters were closer than allowed in the airspace surrounding Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA).
“The data were there, but warning signs were missed,” Sumwalt said. “We plan to conduct research into how data science can be used to identify these precursor events before they culminate in an accident.”
Campos earned a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry‑Riddle in 2015. He joined PSA in 2018 and was promoted to captain in 2022.
Campos served as captain of American Airlines Flight 5342. He was 34 years old at the time of the crash.
